Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer to God the Rock of Refuge
71 In you, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be for me a rock of refuge to resort to always;
you have ordained[a] to save me,
because you are my rock and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp[b] of the evildoer and the oppressor,
5 because you are my hope,
O Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from birth.[c]
It was you who took[d] me from the womb of my mother.
My praise is of you continually.
20 What is this to me?
Frankincense comes from Sheba,
and the precious spice reed from a distant land.
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,[a]
your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”
21 Therefore[b] thus says Yahweh:
“Look, I am about to put before this people stumbling blocks,
and they will stumble against them,
fathers and children together,
neighbor and his friend will perish.”
22 Thus says Yahweh:
“Look, a people is coming from the land of the north,
a great nation is woken up from the farthest part of the earth.
23 The bow and the short sword they grasp are cruel,
and they show no mercy.
Their sound roars like the sea, and on horses they ride,
drawn up like a man for battle against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard news of it,
our hands grow slack,
anxiety has grasped us,
pain as a woman who gives birth.
25 You must not go out into the field,
and you must not walk on the road,
for the enemy has a sword,[c]
terror is all around.
26 O daughter of my people,
gird yourself with sackcloth,
and roll about in the ashes in mourning,
a mourning ceremony as for an only child.
Make for yourself wailing of bitterness,
for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
27 “I have made you an assayer among my people, a fortification,
so that you may know and put to the test their ways.[d]
28 All of them are stubborn rebels,
going about talking slander.
They are bronze and iron,
they are all behaving corruptly.
29 The bellows[e] are burned up,
lead is consumed by fire.
In vain[f] he keeps on refining,[g]
but the wicked are not torn apart.
30 They are called[h] rejected silver,
For Yahweh has rejected them.”
Attacked by a Mob in Thessalonica
17 Now after they[a] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And as was his custom,[b] Paul went in to them and on three Sabbath days he discussed with them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that it was necessary for the Christ[c] to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”[d] 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and also a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the prominent women.
5 But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason’s house, they were looking for them to bring them[e] out to the popular assembly. 6 And when they[f] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world[g] have come here also, 7 whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these people are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!” 8 And they threw the crowd into confusion, and the city officials who heard these things. 9 And after[h] taking money as security from Jason and the rest, they released them.
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